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Beckfield Honor Society to have 5K Walk for Parkinsonís Research

- Oct 25 2012

Hamilton, OH resident Tammy Johnson and students at Beckfield College - Tri County Cincinnati campus are making a difference for people with Parkinson's disease. They are hosting a 5K Walk/Run to benefit the Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF) on Saturday, October 27 at Joyce Park in Hamilton.

Ms. Johnson studied health information technology at Beckfield College and is an active member of the College's chapter of the National Technical Honor Society. Both her mother and cousin live with Parkinson's disease, which inspired her to support the cause. Melanie Lewis, president of Beckfield's honor society, and fellow members of the group rallied behind Ms. Johnson to help her raise funds for PDF by organizing a 5K walk. As Ms. Johnson notes, there is currently no cure for Parkinson's, nor are there medications that can stop it from progressing. Working with the PDF Champions program, the grassroots fundraising arm of the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, the honor society hopes to raise $500 for PDF and raise awareness about the disease in their community.

Ms. Johnson remarks, "I see the effects of Parkinson's disease everyday with my mother. The National Technical Honor Society at Beckfield is hoping to bring the community together to raise money and awareness about Parkinson's. There are so many people afflicted by this disease but not everyone has the information on it that they should. By supporting PDF, we're not only supporting research to cure the disease, but also educational programs to help those living with it."

PDF Executive Director Robin Elliott said, "We are grateful for PDF Champions like Ms. Johnson and members of Beckfield College's honor society who are dedicated to funding the most promising research and raising awareness about the impact of Parkinson's. Their dedication to helping PDF improve the lives and futures of the nearly one million people across the country living with Parkinson's is inspiring."

Registration for the walk is free and begins at 10:00 AM, though participants are encouraged to donate to PDF. The walk begins at 11:00 AM and will be followed by a potluck lunch. For more information about the walk, email NTHSBTC@Beckfield.edu.

To support Ms. Johnson and the honor society's fundraising efforts, visit her personal donation page at http://support.pdf.org/nthsbtc or contact PDF at (800) 457-6676, info@pdf.org or www.pdf.org.